Comprehensive list of English expressions and idioms containing colors.

1. Colours... in English
José A. Alcalde
We all know the name of colours in English, don't we? However, why not using some expressions including
them? Here is a comprehensive list for you to use as you please: self-study, working with students, revision, etc.
First, we will present just the expressions and later we will also include a brief explanation in English if you need
some help with them. Can you add any more?
(*) indicates informal, rude or slang language
And remember, add some colour to your English!!
C
O
L
O
U
R
- to give/add colour to...
- to sail under false colour
- local colour
- a highly coloured report
- to be off colour
- to paint something in bright / dark colours
- to chaise rainbows
- to be dyed in the wool
- with flying colours
- to show one's true colours
- to be colourless
- a horse of a different colour
B
L
A
C
K
- to be the black sheep
- a black tie event
- to be in the dark
- black market / economy
- a black eye
- to be beaten black and blue
- to black out
- black as sin / night = pitch black
- to be in the black
- black coffee
- black mark
- a black day
- a black leg
- to be black and white
- to blackball someone
- to blacklist someone = to be in someone's black
books / list
- pot calling the kettle black
- to blackmail someone
- to give someone a black look
- the black box
- black Friday
B
L
U
E
- a blue collar worker
- like a blue streak
- to be blue with cold
- true blue
- blue chip
- a blue ribbon
- until you are blue in the face
- to feel or be blue / to have the blues
- blue law
- a blue-eyed boy
- once in a blue moon
- a blue film
- out of the blue / bolt from the blue
- to scream blue murder
- the men / boys in blue
- to blue pencil
- blue blood
- blue around the gills
R
E
D
- to paint the town red
- the red light district
- to be shown the red card
- a red letter day
- to see red
- beet red
- to be red hot
- a redneck *
- to be in the red ≠ to be out of the red
- a red carpet treatment
- to be red flag / rag to a bull
- to be caught red-handed
- a red herring (
- red tape
- not to be worth a red cent
- to be / turn red

2. W
H
I
T
E
- a white elephant
- a white lie
- a white flag
- whiter than white
- white as a ghost / sheet
- a white collar worker
- a white coffee
- to whitewash something
- white feather
- white-hot
- as the white on rice
- to bleed someone white
- to white knuckle
- white trash*
G
R
E
Y
- a grey area
- a grey existence
- grey mood
- grey matter
- grey market
- all cats are grey in the dark
- to give someone grey hair
S
I
L
V
E
R
- a silver bullet
- a silver lining
- to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
- a silver surfer
- to be silver-tongued
- the silver screen
G
O
L
D
- golden handcuffs
- a golden handshake
- a golden opportunity
- a golden rule
- a golden boy
G
R
E
E
N
- to have green fingers / a green thumb
- green light
- to be green
- the grass is always greener on the other side
- green around the gills
- greenbelt
- green room
- greenhorn
- to go green
- a greenie
- a greengrocer
- greener pastures
P
I
N
K
- to see pink elephants
- to be in the pink of health
- to be tickled pink
- with rose coloured glasses
- to get the pink slip
- pink collar job*
- pinkie finger
O
T
H
E
R
- to be brown as a berry
- to be browned off
- in a brown study
- a brown-noser*
- to be yellow-bellied
- yellow press
- to be shrinking violet
- to be born to be purple
- a purple patch

3. EXPRESSIONS WITH A BRIEF EXPLANATION
C
O
L
O
U
R
- to give/add colour to... (to make a story more
believable or interesting)
- to sail under false colour (to pretend to be who you
are not)
- local colour (some local features of a place)
- a highly coloured report (very biased)
- to be off colour (to be ill, something inappropriate)
- to paint something in bright / dark colours (to show
things in a flattering / unflattering way)
- to chaise rainbows (to pursuit impossible things)
- to be dyed in the wool (something permanent or very
strong)
- with flying colours (with distinction or extremely well)
- to show one's true colours (to show one's real
intentions)
- to be colourless (to have no personality)
- a horse of a different colour (a very different thing)
B
L
A
C
K
- to be the black sheep (to be the odd member in a
family, group...)
- a black tie event (a very important event)
- to be in the dark (to be unaware of something)
- black market / economy (something illegal)
- a black eye (a bruised eye after a fight)
- to be beaten black and blue (covered in bruises)
- to black out (to lose consciousness)
- black as sin / night = pitch black (really dark)
- to be in the black (to be financially OK)
- black coffee (just coffee with no milk)
- black mark (a very bad mark)
- a black day (a very bad day)
- a black leg (a scab, a person who breaks a strike)
- to be black and white (there is written proof of it)
- to blackball someone (to exclude someone)
- to blacklist someone = to be in someone's black
books / list (when someone becomes our enemy)
- pot calling the kettle black (when a person is guilty of
the very thing of which they accuse another)
- to blackmail someone (to get advantage from someone
by not telling something about him/her)
- to give someone a black look (to look at somebody
angrily)
- the black box (box with all the recording and data about
flights found in aeroplanes)
- black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving Day with huge
discounts in stores)
B
L
U
E
- a blue collar worker (a manual worker)
- like a blue streak (really fast)
- to be blue with cold (to be very cold)
- true blue (loyal, faithful)
- blue chip (of a very good catergory)
- a blue ribbon (with superior quality)
- until you are blue in the face (for a very long time)
- to feel or be blue / to have the blues (to be very
depressed)
- blue law (laws about morality issues)
- a blue-eyed boy (a favourite young man)
- once in a blue moon (very rarely occasion)
- a blue film (pornographic film)
- out of the blue / bolt from the blue (unexpected)
- to scream blue murder (to make a lot of fuss)
- the men / boys in blue (police officers)
- to blue pencil (to censor)
- blue blood (noble or royal)
- blue around the gills (ill, nauseated)
R
E
D
- to paint the town red (to enjoy the city night life)
- the red light district (part of cities where prostitution
is located)
- to be shown the red card (to be dismissed)
- a red letter day (a very important day in the
calendar)
- to see red (to become really angry)
- beet red (really angry face)
- to be red hot (something very hot or popular)
- a redneck (an ignorant, insensitive person)
- to be in the red ≠ to be out of the red (to be or not in a
difficult financial situation)
- a red carpet treatment (an excellent treatment)
- to be red flag / rag to a bull (to cause anger)
- to be caught red-handed (to be caught doing something
wrong)
- a red herring (a distraction)
- red tape (bureaucratic paperwork)
- not to be worth a red cent (no value at all)
- to be / turn red (to be embarrased)

4. W
H
I
T
E
- a white elephant (something useless and very
expensive)
- a white lie (a lie used not to hurt somebody)
- a white flag (symbol for surrender)
- whiter than white (something beyond perfection)
- white as a ghost / sheet (extremely pale)
- a white collar worker (an office worker)
- a white coffee (coffee with milk)
- to whitewash something (to cover up)
- white feather (symbol of cowardliness)
- white-hot (extremely hot metal or something
passionate)
- as the white on rice (very similar)
- to bleed someone white (to extort someone)
- to white knuckle (survive something threatening with
strength)
- white trash* (insult for uneducated white people)
G
R
E
Y
- a grey area (something difficult to deal with)
- a grey existence (a dull life)
- grey mood (an unhappy mood)
- grey matter (our brain)
- grey market (buying or selling items below market
price)
- all cats are grey in the dark (in the end we are all
the same)
- to give someone grey hair (to try someone's
patience)
S
I
L
V
E
R
- a silver bullet (an extremely good solution to a
difficult problem)
- a silver lining (something good after a hard time)
- to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth (from
a rich or privileged family)
- a silver surfer (an old person who uses the Internet)
- to be silver-tongued (to be a really convincing
speaker)
- the silver screen (the film industry)
G
O
L
D
- golden handcuffs (a high amount of money
offered to someone to stay in a company)
- a golden handshake (large amount of money
given when leaving a company)
- a golden opportunity (a really good opportunity)
- a golden rule (a very important rule)
- a golden boy (an idiolised young man)
G
R
E
E
N
- to have green fingers / a green thumb (to be good
at gardening)
- green light (OK)
- to be green (inmature)
- the grass is always greener on the other side (what
other people have is always better than what we
have)
- green around the gills (ill, nauseated)
- greenbelt (area of trees or parks around a town)
- green room (room where performers relax before
their shows)
- greenhorn (a novice, trainne or beginner)
- to go green (to act in a more environmentally-
friendly way)
- a greenie (a environmentally-friendly person)
- a greengrocer (person who sells fruit and
vegetables)
- greener pastures (a better situation)
P
I
N
K
- to see pink elephants (to hallucinate)
- to be in the pink of health (in excellent physical
conditions)
- to be tickled pink (to be very pleased)
- with rose coloured glasses (unrealistic view of
things)
- to get the pink slip (to be fired from work)
- pink collar job* (job usually linked to women)
- pinkie finger (smallest finger in human hands)
O
T
H
E
R
- to be brown as a berry (very tanned)
- to be browned off (disheartened, fed up, annoyed,
bored...)
- in a brown study (someone in deep thought)
- a brown-noser* (someone who does things just to
get favours)
- to be yellow-bellied (to be a coward)
- yellow press (press concerning sensationalist news)
- to be shrinking violet (extremely shy)
- to be born to be purple (to be meant for royalty or high
class)
- a purple patch (period of time when things go really
well)